1. Field of the Invention
This invention concerns an improved type of goggles. In particular, the invention is directed towards an improved swimming goggle with novel means for receiving corrective lenses.
2. Background of the Invention
Examples of underwater diving goggles incorporating corrective lenses can be found in certain parts of the prior art. See, for example, Neufeld U.S. Pat. No. 2,928,097; Pepke U.S. Pat. No. 3,320,018 and Hagen U.S. Pat. No. 3,672,750. The foregoing patents disclose optically corrected underwater goggles and further inclue features which allow the diver greater lateral or sideways vision. The improved lateral vision of the prior art is achieved by rounding the face plate of the diving mask to completely encircle the diver's field of vision. Such an approach can be very expensive because it required precise, optically correct plastic molding. While the diving masks disclosed by Neufeld, Pepke and Hagen are satisfactory, they are nevertheless expensive to construct and difficult to manufacture.
Typical prior art diving goggles in which the eye sockets are separated are disclosed in the patents to O'Flannagan U.S. Pat. No. 1,742,412 and Welsh U.S. Pat. No. 2,317,658. Welsh is of particular interest because it discloses the use of two clear windows per eye socket. The purpose of the dual window feature is to reduce fogging due to temperature differentials.
Of course, protective safety goggles have been used for industrial and commercial purposes for a number of years. Typical of such eye protecting goggles are: Kimball U.S. Pat. No. 2,195,175, Nelson U.S. Pat. No. 3,147,489 and O'Shea U.S. Pat. No. 3,533,686. In particular, Nelson discloses in FIGS. 6 and 7 thereof a composite safety goggle including a plurality of clear or tinted windows and lenses. While safety goggles have been known for a long time, they are nevertheless expensive and unsuitable for swimming goggles due to the fact that they are rarely airtight. As a matter of fact, many goggles include side vents for the purpose of allowing ventilation. See, for instance, Kimball, FIG. 1, element 26.
A pair of ski goggles having a tilted face plate is disclosed in the patent to Young U.S. Pat. No. 3,036,310. Tilting the face plate of ski goggles and the like helps to decrease their aerodynamic resistance and may be desirable for other reasons. However, the use of a tilted face plate to facilitate backstroking by a swimmer appears to be a technique unknown in the prior art.
The following prior art patents are typical of the general state of development of the underwater goggles art: Grano U.S. Pat. No. 2,088,262; Monahan, Jr. et al. U.S. Pat. No. 2,993,209; Simpson U.S. Pat. No. 3,040,616; Chan U.S. Pat. No. 3,051,957 and Andresen, Jr. U.S. Pat. No. 3,055,256. Judging from the state of the goggles art as exemplified by the foregoing patents, there does not appear to be disclosed anywhere the use of corrective lenses in a pair of swimming goggles, as opposed to the use of corrective lenses in underwater diving masks. For a variety of reasons, it is generally undesirable for a swimmer to use a full face mask when simply swimming on the surface of the water. On the other hand, simple swimming goggles are unuseable by divers because there is no means for compensating for changes in pressure. Therefore, the swimming goggles of the present invention were invented as a result of the fact that inexpensive swimming goggles incorporating corrective lenses were not available on the general market. In particular, inexpensive swimming goggles incorporating a tilted face plate and side vision facilities were not available either. It was in the context of the foregoing necessities that the present invention was made, a summary of which follows.